Ocular Surface Disease: Latest Innovations In Dry Eye And Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Younger practitioners hear stories about the days when cyclosporine was the only pharmaceutical option for dry eye disease, about the times optometrists had to haul heavy heating therapies in our cars between clinics, and about the era when Bruder masks were a cutting-edge technology. Luckily for today’s patients with dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), we have more options than ever—and many of them don’t require us to lift heavy machinery. 

Providers are now tasked with linking specific technologies to individual dry eye patients, which requires a careful assessment of the treatment matrix. As Mark Dunbar, OD, outlines in his piece in this third installment of the EMPOWER: Business + Specialty Care Optometric Series, the various mechanisms of action for treatments for dry eye and MGD give providers more tools than ever to address these conditions. Matching the patient to the treatment is one thing; having a backup plan in case the realities of insurance coverage interfere with ideal treatment is another. We optometrists need to be equipped for multiple eventualities, but if we come armed to the clinic with knowledge, at least we can suggest the best course of action from the outset. 

For patients with multifactorial disease, a multipronged approach could serve them best. Joshua Davidson, OD, FAAO, FSLS, explains his approach to employing multiple tactics for treating dry eye and MGD. Over-the-counter options may supplement the pharmaceutical approaches we employ, but these are sometimes overlooked by providers focused on the most advanced technologies. 

We’re in a new age of dry eye and MGD treatment. The more time we spend understanding the distinct value propositions of each treatment, the better we can serve our patients.